From Tin Cans to Touchscreens: The 40 Most Important Phones in History

GoldVish Le Million

This, folks, is what the most expensive cell phone on the planet looks like, as recognized by the Guinness World Records. Named after its price tag, the Le Million runs 1 million Euros, or about $1.35 million.

Image Credit: GoldVish

Only 100 of these phones were ever made. Each one sports 18K white gold and 1,800 diamonds totaling 120 carats. But don't worry if $1.35 million is too rich for your blood -- GoldVish also makes other models starting at a more affordable $25,000. What a bargain!

Invented: 2008

Apple iPhone 3GS

After the iPhone came the iPhone 3G with support for 3G data, and then the iPhone 3GS. In his review of the 3GS variant, former Maximum PC Editor-in-Chief Will Smith said, "Finally, a no-compromise smartphone suitable for mass consumption."

Image Credit: Apple

Part of what he was referring to was the snappier feel of the OS, due in part to a faster CPU, more memory, and better equipped GPU. Put together, it all added up to a more responsive experience with up to half the load times on some applications.

Invented: 2009

Palm Pre

The Pre's hype was high in the beginning, and so were the stakes. With Palm struggling financially and the company's future very much in question, the Pre was supposed to turn the company's fortunes around. But the much ballyhooed smartphone had the unfortunate timing of debuting not long before the Motorola Droid (see below).

"If we could have launched at Verizon prior to the Droid, I think we would have gotten the attention the Droid got. And since I believe we have a better product, I think we could have even done better," explained Jon Rubinstein, Palm CEO.

Image Credit: Palm

Palmed popped its webOS cherry with the Pre, ditching Palm OS for the Linux-based kernel. The Pre also made headlines for its advertised ability to sync with iTunes, a feature that didn't sit well with Apple. Palm and Apple proceeded to play a game of cat and mouse with iTunes compatibility, where each company would update their software (iTunes and webOS) to break (Apple) and restore (Palm) the ability to sync.

Invented: 2009

Motorola Droid

Like the G1, Motorola's Droid was hyped as a potential iPhone killer, and it too didn't quite live up that designation. But it did close the gap considerably, as well as inject some much needed nitro into Android.

Image Credit: Motorola

Whereas the G1 felt sluggish at times, the Droid's faster processor and beefier overall system specs finally started to do justice for Android. The Droid also had the advantage of Verizon's network, while G1 owners had to put up with T-Mobile's dismal 3G coverage.

Droid was also the first smartphone to ship with version 2.0 of Android, which featured a revamped UI, HTM5 support, Microsoft Exchange support, built-in flash support for Camera, and a bunch of other welcome enhancements.

Invented: 2009

Nexus One

Yet another candidate for the coveted title of "iPhone Killer," the Nexus One is the first smartphone -- or "superphone," as Google likes to call it -- to be seriously considered for the distinction.

Built by HTC, the Nexus One is marketed and sold by Google, which also makes it the first true "Google Phone." There's a lot to like in the Nexus One, including the 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 512MB of internal memory, and 5.0MP camera.

Image Credit: Google

So why isn't the Nexus One killing the iPhone in sales? One reason is because it was initially only offered for use on T-Mobile. Though users can purchase an unlocked Nexus One, doing so costs $529. And while existing T-Mobile subscribers can upgrade to the Nexus One for just $179, the discount is limited to those on an Individual 500 plan - those paying more for a Family plan need not apply. Boo!

More recently, Google has begun offering a second version compatible with AT&T's 3G network, but the non-subsidized phone still runs $529, so it's not likely to present a significant threat to Apple's iPhone sales.

Invented: 2010

Have a favorite phone we missed? Want to slap us with a trout for the ones we did include? Need a friend? Be sure to sound off in the comments section below!

You forgot one of the most important phones in TV History. More important than Batman's, Get Smart's, Fred Flinstone's, and Mike Brady's phone was the phone use by Captain Kirk on Star Trek. That communicator directly predicted AND influenced the creation of the cell phone universe that we all now live in.

Heh, I remember we had one of the Model 500 rotary phones back when I was a kid (this was the 60s and 70s). I still have one here (though unused; my desk phone is a replica Nick and Nora Charles phone).

wow, some hatin' for the RAZR! In my opinion a black V3 is still one of the cooler phones out there, and if you don't count spart phones, among the coolest. It hasn't aged much, and is still one of the thinnest phones out there, probably because it was the first to reach the reasonable limit of thin-ness in a non-flexible mobile device.

It's perfect for me. I'm in a family plan, still have 1.5 years of contract left, so I just bought the danged thing. No need for a data plan since I'm on campus all the time, blanketed in wifi, and AT&T can't make me since it's unsubsidised.

I may get data sometime in the future, but honestly it's only on the road I miss the data connection, but I always do have SMS to make me feel more connected.

First Car phone at $15, a bargain by today's standards? Uh, did inflation cross your mind? $15
in 1948 is equivalant to $135 today. I don't call that a bargain.

Oh, and the Western Electric 1500 (touchtone) is nearly IDENTICAL to the phone on my desk at work, except mine is black, and includes a volume knob on the handset. The whole office of ~2800 employees uses them. I can hear the gasp as this is read. But it does exactly what I need it to do... make phone calls.